Ralph Northam on Immigration

Stand up against ICE; our doors are open

Q: What about stepped up deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)?

A: I'll work side by side with our attorney general to make sure that ICE is not overstepping their bounds, so that people, especially immigrants, in Virginia aren't
living in fear. Something that we are very proud of in Virginia is that we are inclusive. Our lights are on; our doors are open. We will stand up against ICE. We will do everything we can to make sure immigrants are comfortable living here.

Source: The American Prospect on 2017 Virginia gubernatorial race
, May 3, 2017

Support driver's licenses for illegal immigrants

Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam's pledge this week to support driver's licenses for illegal immigrants has thrust the issue of immigration to the forefront of the state's 2017 gubernatorial race.

The issue surfaced when Northam was asked where he stood on a proposal to grant temporary driver's licenses to people
who can't receive a permanent one because of their immigration status. "We need to make sure that we have immigration reform for this county, we make sure that we have a pathway to citizenship in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and we need to make sure
that people have access to driver's licenses," he said. A total of 12 states allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, according to a breakdown of state laws from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Work with federal government to enforce immigration laws

We owe it to our first responders to provide the tools they need to do their jobs effectively. I have fought hard to spare our sheriffs, police, and firefighters from devastating budget cuts.

Being smart on crime is just as important as being tough
on crime. We need to take low cost steps to help Virginia's finest do their jobs: [including] working with the federal government to enforce immigration laws, rather than diverting scarce state and local resources from other responsibilities.